Steven Van Zandt has undergone emergency surgery for appendicitis and will miss this week’s shows as part of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band.
The rock musician, 74, was in San Sebastián, Spain, for Springsteen’s two-night run at the Estadio Reale Arena, but said he was admitted to hospital after experiencing a sharp pain in his stomach.
He wrote on Instagram: “Got a sharp pain in my stomach, thought it was food poisoning, turned out to be appendicitis.”
Van Zandt said he got lucky with an “exceptional hospital in San Sebastian”.
“Operation was a complete success and I'm hoping to get back on stage for at least one of the shows in Milan. Thank you all for all the good vibes. See you soon,” he added.
Springsteen and his E Street Band arrived in Europe in May, beginning in Manchester, before heading to Lille, France, Berlin, Germany, and Frankfurt, Germany. They are scheduled to perform in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on 27 June, before arriving in Milan, Italy, on 30 June, where they will play for two nights.
Last year, Van Zandt opened up about a “very public career suicide” when he walked away from the E Street Band in 1984.
Van Zandt had a long association with The Boss when he joined his band in 1975. However, during the recording of Springsteen’s breakthrough record Born in the USA, Van Zandt chose to quit the group in what he has called “the big mistake of my life”.
After leaving, he released a number of solo records under his moniker Little Steven and starred in the critically adored crime drama series The Sopranos as Silvio Dante from 1999 until its conclusion in 2007.
Among his many other ventures, Van Zandt has also moonlighted as a songwriter, arranger and producer, radio host, author and record label owner. Last year, he was the subject of an HBO original documentary, Steve Van Zandt: Disciple.
Speaking to The Guardian, the rocker said he spent a lot of his life grappling with guilt for leaving the band.
“All my life I’ve carried with me this guilt and feeling of, jeez, if only I could have stayed in the band and yet done all these other things,” he said.
“Wouldn’t that have been wonderful? I realised when I analysed it that is ridiculous and that wouldn’t have happened.”
By staying in the band, he explained, “there wouldn’t have probably been any solo records, there wouldn’t have been the Sun City record, there wouldn’t have been The Sopranos or Lilyhammer.”
Van Zandt returned to the band in 1999 and has remained a member since.
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